An endocrinologist is a doctor who specializes in treating diseases related to hormones and the endocrine system.
So, what exactly is the endocrine system? Well, it is a system made up of various glands throughout the body that produce hormones. These hormones are like chemical messengers that travel through the blood to tissues and organs and influence many of the body’s processes and functions. And so endocrinologists treat several conditions that involve the endocrine glands and hormones.
What diseases does an endocrinologist treat?
Endocrinologists are experts on hormones, so they diagnose and treat many different diseases and conditions related to hormone imbalances or endocrine gland disorders.
Some examples include:
1. Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most common conditions treated by an endocrinologist. Diabetes develops when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or the body cannot use insulin effectively. This leads to high blood sugar levels. The two main types of diabetes are:
- Type 1 diabetes – The pancreas stops making insulin due to damage to the insulin-producing cells. It often starts in childhood. Treatment involves insulin therapy.
- Type 2 diabetes – The body develops insulin resistance, meaning cells do not respond to insulin properly. It typically starts later in adulthood and accounts for 90-95% of diabetes cases. Treatment may involve medications, insulin, weight loss, and lifestyle changes.
In addition to types 1 and 2, an endocrinologist may treat gestational diabetes, which can develop during pregnancy, or other specific types of diabetes. They help diabetics manage their blood sugar levels through medication, diet, and lifestyle adjustments.
2. Thyroid Disease
The thyroid gland plays an important role in regulating growth, metabolism, and various body functions. Endocrinologists diagnose and treat many thyroid disorders, including:
- Hypothyroidism – An underactive thyroid with lower hormone production leads to weight gain, fatigue, swelling, and more. It is treated with synthetic thyroid medication.
- Hyperthyroidism – An overactive thyroid gland produces excess hormones, accelerating the metabolism. Symptoms involve sudden weight loss, rapid heart rate, sweating, nervousness, and irritability. Medications, radioiodine therapy, or surgery can treat it.
- Goiters – A thyroid goiter refers to an abnormal enlargement of the gland, which may be linked to iodine deficiency, inflammation, nodules, or tumors. Treatment depends on the cause.
- Thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer – Endocrinologists test and monitor nodules and tumors and provide surgical or radioactive iodine treatment when cancerous.
Monitoring thyroid function and managing thyroid disorders are very common specialties for endocrinologists.
3. Metabolic Disorders
Many metabolic disorders occur when problems arise with endocrine organs like the pancreas, adrenal gland, or pituitary gland. Endocrinologists treat issues such as:
- Prediabetes and insulin resistance – When cells become resistant to insulin activity, allowing high blood sugar levels.
- Metabolic syndrome – A group of conditions like high blood pressure, blood lipid abnormalities, and increased blood sugar that raise the risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Diet, exercise, and medications can help manage it.
- Pituitary disorders – Tumors or other structural problems in the pituitary gland negatively impact hormone production in other glands. Medications and surgery may correct pituitary imbalances.
- Parathyroid conditions – Such as hyperparathyroidism, when overactivity leads to elevated calcium, causing bone loss, kidney stones, abdominal pain, nausea, etc.
4. Adrenal Gland Diseases
The adrenal glands, above the kidneys, regulate stress response, metabolism, blood pressure, and electrolytes through hormones like cortisol and aldosterone. Endocrinologists diagnose and treat disorders like:
- Cushing’s syndrome – Excess cortisol causes rapid weight gain in the chest and abdomen, thinning arms and legs, fatigue, weak muscles, bone loss, and more. Treatment options include medications and surgery.
- Addison’s disease – Also called adrenal insufficiency, where the adrenals produce inadequate cortisol. Low blood pressure, weight loss, diarrhea, nausea, and cravings for salt occur. Cortisol medicines and fluids/electrolytes help manage it.
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia – People are born missing certain enzymes the adrenals need to function fully, leading to excess androgen hormones. Medicines can treat symptoms and hormone regulation.
5. Reproductive Disorders
The endocrine system and glands like the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenals influence normal reproductive system functioning. Endocrinologists may treat:
- Infertility – They can diagnose underlying endocrine causes impacting fertility in men and women and provide treatment recommendations.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – Abnormal hormone levels cause ovulation issues, cysts on the ovaries, irregular or heavy periods, excess hair growth, and sometimes diabetes and heart disease. Birth control pills, diabetes drugs, or lifestyle changes can help alleviate symptoms.
- Hypogonadism – Inadequate sex hormone production in the testes (men) or ovaries (women). Testosterone therapy replaces missing hormones.
6. Endocrine Cancers
While less common, endocrinologists also have special expertise in diagnosing and caring for endocrine cancers like:
- Thyroid cancer – As noted above, they conduct testing to locate tumors and nodules and coordinate surgical thyroidectomies and radioactive iodine treatment when thyroid cancer occurs.
- Pancreatic cancer – Especially cancer of the insulin-producing beta cells. Endocrinologists help manage symptoms and complications of blood sugar levels.
- Adrenal cortical carcinoma – An extremely rare but aggressive cancer of the outer adrenal cortex may cause excess cortisone. Completing scans and tests to locate tumors and spreading cancer cells allows tailored treatment plans with surgery, chemotherapy medicines, or radiation.
In summary, endocrinologists undergo extensive medical training to manage a wide range of conditions related to the complex endocrine systems and glands throughout the body that are responsible for regulating hormones and associated processes. Some endocrinologists further specialize in certain areas like thyroid disorders, diabetes, or reproduction after their formal training.
When to See an Endocrinologist
Since endocrinologists focus so intensively on glands and hormones, they offer specialized expertise in diagnosing and treating endocrine diseases. Some common signs may prompt someone to visit an endocrinologist, including:
- Abnormal thyroid exam showing lumps, swelling, tenderness
- Blood tests revealing elevated or depressed hormone levels
- MRI scans indicating adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid gland tumors
- Patient or family history of endocrine cancers
- Infertility combined with irregular, absent, or unusually heavy periods
- Symptoms suggesting diabetes like increased thirst/urination, unexplained weight loss, slow wound healing, etc.
In many cases, though, other specialty doctors diagnose endocrine disorders first and then refer patients to an endocrinologist for specialized treatment and management.
Here are examples of doctors who often refer patients:
- Primary care doctors / general physicians – They conduct full physicals and order initial blood work. Recognizing indications of potential endocrine diseases, they refer individuals to endocrinologists for confirmation of the diagnosis and treatment.
- OB/GYN doctors – They frequently diagnose many reproductive endocrine problems in female patients, like PCOS, underactive thyroid slowing embryo implantation during IVF, or pituitary tumors inhibiting ovulation and refer such patients for endocrine care.
- Oncologists – Cancer specialists diagnose endocrine system tumors but given an endocrinologist’s greater expertise in these specialized glands, the oncologist involves them to direct appropriate treatment procedures.